Gas controlling and lighting mechanism.



Patented May 12, 1914.

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H. B. STEELE.

GAS CONTROLLING AND LIGHTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1913.'

COLUMHlA FLANOGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON, D c.

Q 0 O O o a nw Q o wd o a WITNESEEE 11. a QLALJ 44f. UM,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT B. STEELE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

GAS CONTROLLING AND LIGHTING MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERBERT B. STEELE, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, a citizen of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gas Controlling and Lighting Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

The purpose of the invention is a mechanism which will turn on gas for burners, light it, increase or diminish the quantity of gas passing and turn it off.

It isespecially intended for use on automobiles and for controlling the lights thereof, and in the form herein shown provision is made for governing two diiferent groups of lights, one of which groups may be turned up and down without changing the other. The instrument is of such a design that when mounted upon an accessible part of the dashboard it is capable of operation as to the turning up and down of the lights by the toe of the rider. The parts visible upon the dashboard comprise an escutcheon plate fastened to the dashboard and a paddle shaped handle swinging from the center thereof.

The handle is provided with a latch pin and the escutcheon plate with holes and a curved slot into which the latch pin may engage, located to retain the handle in the various operative positions, the-slot being of a length such that the handle can be swung an amount proper for increasing and diminishing the flow of gas. The latch pin is provided with a button by which it can be withdrawn from the slot or holes in changing the handle from one operative position to another. And the escutcheon plate is significantly marked near the holes and slot.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the instrument upon the line X-X of Fig. 5, in which an adjacent portion of the dashboard of the vehicle is also shown. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the front of the instrument. Figs. 3 and 4: are each a vertical transverse section through the center of the gas outlet passages and viewed from the front as in Fig. 2 and showing the valve in different positions. Fig. 5 is a partial horizontal section. Fig. 6 isa detail of the operative end of the valve. Fig. 7 is a diagram of the gas and electrical connections and is to be taken in connection with Fig. 1.

The body of the instrument B passes through the dashboard A, it is of slightly Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 2, 1913.

Patented May 12, 1914.

Serial No. 739,592.

conical form, fits tightly in the board and is held therein by a nut D upon its front end which is screwed against an escutcheon plate E bearing at its periphery against the dashboard. lVithin the body .is closely fitted a rotary valve C of slightly conical form. The valve is held to its seat by a compression spring F bearing against its end and it is turned and operated by a handle G fastened upon the projecting end of the valve by a clamp screw H. The opening necessarily made in the end of the body through which to insert the valve is closed by a screw I, fitting gas tight therein and the inner end of this screw carries one end of the spring F.

The body is provided with a boss J at a point corresponding with the opening between the screw I and the end of the valve, within which boss is firmly secured one end of the gas supply pipe K by an annular screw L which has a cupped end and a ring of packing material N upon which the screw is firmly tightened. The body has also two other bosses O and P, one upon each side, situated opposite the operative end of the valve, within which are received the gas delivery pipes Q. and R secured by the screws (1 r and packings and T The valve has a longitudinal gas channel 0, see Fig. 5 from its end to a cross channel 0 drilled through it at a point corresponding to the location of the delivery pipes.

The bosses O and P are formed with cavities 0 and 79 within formed by extending the hole made for the reception of the deliv ery pipes, and the wall between these cavities and the seat of the rotary valve is perforated by holes 0 and p axially coinciding with and extending the cross hole 0 of the valve when the valve is in the position indicated in Fig. 3 with the cross hole horizontal, so that in this position an unrestricted passage is made from the valve seat cavity above the supply gas pipe K, through the valve to the cavities of both the delivery pipes. I

The valve on one side, at one end of the cross hole as seen in Fig. 6 has one side of the cross hole circumferentially extended 0 a small amount to cause the passages on one side to be in communication during a small partial rotation of the valve at which time the passages on the other side of the valve are nearly closed, see Figs. 3 and 4, the latter of which shows the valve so rotated. The handle G has a projecting latch pin S,

and the escutcheon plate E has a curved slot c within which the pin works and this slot is made of such length that it limits the movement of the pin and consequently ot the handle and valve C within the limits indicated by the positions of the valve shown in Figs. 3 and t, from a position in which the passage of the cross hole is fully open at both ends to a position in which at one end the passage is nearly closed. The latch pin has an enlarged portion where it slides within the handle and a reduced stem 3 upon the end of which is secured a button .9

Within the cavity of the handle in which the enlarged portion of the valve pin works is located a compression spring 8" acting to thrust the pin into engagement with the escutcheon plate, and upon the reduced portion of the latch pin and between the button and the handle is a second compression spring 8 operating against the action of the first and so that the resultant of the action of both is to retain the latch pin in the position shown in Fig. l, in engagement with th escutcheon plate, but free from a screw T later described. The escutcheon plate is provided beside the curved slot 0 with one or more holes 0 to receive the latch pin when the handle is rotated substantially 90 degrees from that position which corre sponds with the alined position of the cross hole of the valve shown in Fig. 3. The delivery pipe R- carries gas to the burners of that group of lights which it is desired to turn up and down. and the pipe Q carries gas to the group which it is desired to have unaffected by such manipulation of the first group. If new gas is admitted to the sup ply pipe K it will pass through the holes and c of the valve and through the holes 0 and p to the delivery pipes Q and It respectively. And upon swinging the handle G 'from side to side within the limits imposed upon the latch pin S by the curved slot 0 of the escutcheon plate, the valve C will rotate between the position indicated in Fig. 8 where the passages are unrestricted and the position shown in F t where the passages are restricted on the 32 side though remaining unrestricted on the 0 side through the operation of the recess And the gas will flow in undiminished quantity through the delivery pipe Q. as the handle is swung from side to side, but the quantity of gas flowing through the delivery pipe R will vary rrom a maximum when the handle is at the left in Fig. 2 to a minimum when the handle is at the ri ht and the valve in the position of Fig. at.

As a means of accurately gaging the maximum quantity of gas flowing to the delivery pipes, I insert throttle screws 0 and 79* in the upper end of the cavities 0 and p where upon manipulation they will obstruct the passages 0 and p more or less, and lock them in. position by nuts 0 and 1) bearing upon rings of flexible packing 0 and 7). To shut the flow oi. gas ojtt it is necessary to withdraw the latch pin S by the button a from engagement with the escutcheon plate and swing it to one of the positions at right angles to that shown in Fig. 1. and where the latch pin will engage with one of the holes 0 upon releasing the button.

Provision is made for lighting the gas after turning on through the agency of the electric current. Through the dashboard of the vehicle and in line with the latch pin S when the latter is substantially in the center of the slot c I place a screw T, the head of which must be free from the escutcheon plate and free from contact with the latch pin when the latter is unrestrained. See Fig. 1. Upon the opposite end of the screw I fasten an electric wire U by a nut If. This wire runs to one pole of a battery V, from the other pole of which connection is made to the burners. The return circuit is made by the metallic gas pipes from the burners to the controller. And the circuit is closed by pushing the button 8 which moves the latch pin on to the screw T against the effort of the spring This of course can only be done when the latch pin is opposite the screw and consequently the valve o e and the gas flowing.

The burners I prefer to use are those described in my application Serial Number (396532 because of the simplicity of the electrical apparatus involved. I also prefer to use a suitable reducing valve \V such as that described in my application Serial Number (396533 it the gas supply is contained in a tank Y under pressure, for the purpose of maintaining a constant pressure in the pipe K in order that one group of lights may be diminished without causing an increase in the second group. 3y its use extreme care in proportioning the size of the slot 0'' is made unnecessary.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. In a gas controller a handle with a spring retained contact making latch pin yielding both in an outward and an inward direction, a gas valve with determinable positions of shut oil and of maximum and minimum gas supply, an escutcheon plate having holes for receiving the latch pin in posi tions corresponding to the shut ott position of the valve and a slot for receiving the pin in positions corresponding to the maximum and to the minimum gas supply positions of the valve, an insulated contact piece opposite the said slot outside of but close to the path of revolution of the latch pin, and an electrical igniting circuit reaching from the said contact-piece at one end to the said latch pin at the other.

2. In a gas controller an escutcheon plate with latch pin holes in determinable positions, an operating handle revolving over the plate, a latch pin sliding within the handle in both endwise directions and provided with springs for returning it to normal position from both directions, an electrical contact piece under the escutcheon plate and opposite a certain hole thereof within the range of motion of pin when pin is forced endwise but free from pin when pin is in normal spring held position.

3. In a gas controller having a valve movement limited to maximum and minimum delivery positions the combination of a set of valve ports or passages operating as above with a second set of passages leading to a separate delivery system, the said second set having its valve ports or passages extended so as to be fully open at the valve position corresponding with the minimum delivery position of the first set, an escutcheon plate slot and cooperating handle carried latch pin for limiting the valve movement; a contact piece and an electric igniting circuit reaching from said contact piece at one end to said latch pin at the other, the said pin being provided with possible endwise motion whereby it may be disengaged from said slot allowing valve movement beyond said limit and a possible endwise movement in the opposite direction whereby said circuit may be closed.

v4. A handle with a latch pin as specified, a gas valve with determinable positions of maximum and minimum supply, an escutcheon plate having a slot for receiving the latch pin in positions corresponding to the maximum and minimum gas supply positions of valve; whereby the slot confines the movement of the valve and permits its movement between the said positions as limits a contact piece located in register with said latch pin when said latch pin is in the said slot, and an electric igniting circuit reaching from said contact piece to said latch pin, said latch pin having a possible endwise movement whereby it may close said circuit.

5. In a gas controller a cylindrical valve seat body having a gas supply and delivery pipes at one end and a retaining nut and escutcheon plate at the other, a handle and a latch pin carried thereby over the face of the escutcheon plate, the said plate being provided with, holes for receiving the said latch pin and a slot for receiving the latch pin and limiting its movement in positions corresponding to the maximum and minimum gas supply positions of the valve, a contact piece located in register with said latch pin when said latch pin is in the said slot, and an electric igniting circuit reaching from said contact piece to said latch pin, said latch pin having a possible endwise movement whereby it may close said circuit.

HERBERT B. STEELE.

Witnesses Gnonon O. G. COAL-E, M. E. FLAHERTY.

Copies of this patent nay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner or Patents,

Washington, D. O. 

